Today’s guest post comes from one of our attendees, chef and author Christy Morgan. Share her story and anticipation below…

I couldn’t be more psyched to go to the first ever vegan blogger conference. I’m relatively new to the blogging world. I went vegan about 9 years ago and began teaching myself to cook because at the time there was only one vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. This sparked my desire to go to culinary school. A couple of years later I started a vegan meal delivery service cooking for people like Alicia Silverstone, then began teaching cooking classes. Teaching has become my passion because I like empowering others to take charge of their health and well-being. After teaching for a few years I started my blog to share my knowledge and my way of cooking with others. I feel like my blog is a way to hold people’s hands through their transition into veganism.

I’m constantly amazed and inspired by the vegan bloggers out there. My subscriptions and Google Reader are getting out of hand! I also love how you can get to know someone online in such an intimate way and become good friends before you even meet in person. There’s a sense of community that forms in the blogging world; everyone is so supportive and lifts each other up. It’s an opportunity to get real and get raw, depending on how much you choose to share on your blog. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there. I learn that every day.

Getting to meet all my favorite bloggers and hang out with them in one room is about to happen! I couldn’t be more thrilled to participate in the Vida Vegan Conference. The classes look amazing. I’m especially excited about the Photography Workshop because I recently bought a digital camera and need to learn how to shoot food (a new thing for me!). I’m also excited about all the good food we get to eat! Jess, Janessa, and Michele have thought of everything, and this event will surely go down in history!

VVC happens to coincide with the release of my first cookbook, Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals That Nourish Mind, Body, and Planet. I am excited to share this book with my fellow vegan bloggers. I figured since I’m on the west coast I might as well continue down the coast and make a little book tour happen. My first event is Tuesday after the conference at People’s Co-op. Hope you can join me, or if you live in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego, I have many events coming up. The full schedule is here on my website.

Here’s to a wonderful event and time spent with some of the coolest vegans I know!

Christy Morgan, known as The Blissful Chef, has been tantalizing taste buds for years as a vegan chef and cooking instructor. She’s on a mission to show that clean food can be delicious, easy to make, and will bring more energy and bliss into your life! Find out more at theblissfulchef.com.